Sealed slatted blind
A window covering comprises slats suspended from a tilt cord such that the tilt cord may rotate the slats between an open position and a closed position. An elastic seal is provided on the slats to contact adjacent slats when the slats are in the closed position. A mechanism such as a spring or a magnet applies a closing force to the slats in the closed position separate from the tilt cord where the closing force moves the slats toward one another. An elastic seal is provided on the slats to contact adjacent slats when the slats are in the closed position.
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This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/458,099, filed Apr. 27, 2012, which, in turns, claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61/480,132 filed Apr. 28, 2011, the entire contents of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUNDWindow coverings provide aesthetics, privacy and light control. One type of window covering is a slatted blind that comprises a plurality of slats suspended from a head rail. The slats may be articulated between open positions where the slats are spaced from one another and closed positions where the slats are rotated toward one another to create a privacy panel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to one embodiment a window covering comprises a first slat and a second slat suspended from a tilt cord such that the tilt cord may rotate the first slat and a second slat between an open position and a closed position. An elastic seal on the first slat is positioned to contact the second slat when the first slat and the second slat are in the closed position.
The seal may be made of an elastomeric polymer. The first slat may be extruded of a rigid plastic and the seal may be co-extruded of a relatively more elastic material. The seal may be formed along a longitudinal edge of the first slat. The seal may extend from the first slat in a cantilevered fashion such that one longitudinal edge of the first slat is formed by the seal. The seal may extend beyond the plane of the first slat. A first magnetic field of a first polarity may be formed along a first longitudinal edge of the first slat and a second magnetic field of a second polarity may be formed along a second longitudinal edge of the second slat where in the closed position the first longitudinal edge may be disposed adjacent the second longitudinal edge. A second elastic seal may be provided on the second slat positioned to contact the seal when the first slat and the second slat are in the closed position. A thermally insulating film may be applied over at least a portion of a surface of the first slat and at least a portion of a surface of the second slat.
According to another embodiment a window covering comprises a first slat and a second slat suspended from a tilt cord such that the tilt cord may rotate the first slat and the second slat between an open position and a closed position. A magnetic field applies a closing force to at least one of the first slat and the second slat in the closed position separate from the tilt cord where the closing force moves the first slat and the second slat toward one another.
A first magnetic field of a first polarity may be formed along a first longitudinal edge of the first slat and a second magnetic field of a second polarity may be formed along a second longitudinal edge of the second slat where, in the closed position, the first longitudinal edge is disposed adjacent the second longitudinal edge. A first magnetic field of a first polarity may be formed along a first longitudinal edge of the first slat and a ferromagnetic material may be formed along a second longitudinal edge of the second slat where in the closed position the first longitudinal edge is disposed adjacent to the second longitudinal edge. The magnetic field may be created by a magnet having a first polarity that may be supported along a first longitudinal edge of the first slat and a second magnet having a second polarity that may be supported along a second longitudinal edge of the second slat where in the closed position the magnet is disposed adjacent the second magnet. The magnet may be extruded in the slat. The magnet may be a tape magnet. A first magnetic field of a first polarity and a second magnetic field of a second plurality may be formed along a first longitudinal edge of the first slat and a third magnetic field of the first polarity and a fourth magnetic field of the second polarity may be formed along a second longitudinal edge of the first slat and a fifth magnetic field of the first polarity and a sixth magnetic field of the second plurality may be formed along a first longitudinal edge of the second slat and a seventh magnetic field of the first polarity and an eighth magnetic field of the second polarity may be formed along a second longitudinal edge of the second slat. The first magnetic field and the third magnetic field may be formed on a first surface of the first slat and the second magnetic field and the fourth magnetic field may be formed on a second surface of the first slat and the fifth magnetic field and the seventh magnetic field may be formed on a first surface of the second slat and the sixth magnetic field and the eighth magnetic field may be formed on a second surface of the second slat. The magnet may extend beyond a first longitudinal edge of the first slat to create a pocket for receiving a second longitudinal edge of the second slat. The first slat and the second slat may be connected to vertical lift cords by a rotating clip such that the positions of the first slat and the second slat are fixed relative to the vertical lift cords.
According to another embodiment a window covering comprises a first slat and a second slat suspended from a tilt cord such that the tilt cord may rotate the first slat and the second slat between an open position and a closed position. A spring is disposed between the tilt cord and the first slat for applying a closing force to the first slat in the closed position where the closing force biases the first slat toward the second slat.
In a typical existing slatted blind, gaps may occur between adjacent slats even when the slats are moved to the fully closed position. These gaps may be especially pronounced at the bottom and top of the blind panel; however, gaps may be present throughout the height of the blind. Because of the gaps between the slats, slatted window coverings, even when closed, do not create an impermeable thermal insulating barrier. Because of the difficulty in making a thermal insulating barrier with a slatted blind, cellular shades are traditionally the window treatment of choice where an insulating window covering is desired. A slatted blind that is able to close fully such that it provides thermal insulation functionality is disclosed herein. The blind of the present invention seals the slats against one another in a manner that meets the fashion needs of the consumer and is energy efficient and can lower energy usage and costs. In addition to increasing the thermal insulation property of the blind, the elimination of the gaps between adjacent slats also increases the light blocking capability of the shade.
Referring to
The slats 50 may be supported by lift cords 21 that are connected to the bottom of the shade 4 or to the bottom rail 19 where the lift cords 21 may be retracted toward the head rail 18 to raise the shade or extended away from the head rail to lower the shade. The lift cords 21 may be operatively connected to a pull cord 16 or other user control that may be manipulated by the user to raise and lower the slats.
The slats 50 are also supported by a tilt cord 20 that functions to tilt the slats 50 between an open position where the slats 50 are spaced from one another and closed positions where the slats 50 are disposed in an abutting, overlapping manner to create a sealed insulating panel. The tilt cord 20 may comprise a ladder cord as shown that supports the individual slats 50 where manipulation of the ladder cord results in the tilting of the slats between the open position, the closed positions and any intermediate position. The tilt cord 20 may be controlled by a user control 25 such as a control wand or cord that is manipulated by the user to adjust the opening and closing of the slats. Typically, the slats will be supported by two or more tilt cords 20 and two or more lift cords 21 depending upon the width of the window covering. A variety of cord control mechanisms may be provided to control and manage the lift cords and tilt cords including cord locks, control drums, brakes and the like. While a specific embodiment of a window covering is disclosed, the window covering may have a wide variety of constructions. For example, the pull cord may be replaced by a spring motor or an electric motor to control the raising and lowering of the slats. The tilt cord may be replaced by ribbons or other flexible member for tilting the slats and the control of the tilting of the slats may be accomplished using an electric motor or other control. Further, the slats 50 may have a variety of configurations and finishes and may be made of any suitable material including, but not limited to, wood, metal, plastic, composites or the like.
Referring to
Referring to
When a typical slatted blind is fully closed, the slats are preferably at an angle of approximately 4 to 5 degrees relative to vertical. However, in some existing blinds the slats “slouch” as shown in
The inventors of the present application have determined that the largest increase in thermal insulating performance may be obtained by applying a film 66, such as a lowE film, on the slats as shown in
Another blind characteristic that provides desirable thermal insulating characteristics is a sealed slat arrangement. The sealed slat arrangement may also be used in combination with the insulating film or with a slat having an internal geometry that increases the thermal insulating properties of the slat. In tests performed by the inventors a standard slatted blind closure having gaps between the slats and a sealed slatted blind closure were tested and compared in an energy chamber designed to measure the U-value for window treatments. The test method used parallel NFRC 100A for measuring U-value of attachment products; however, the base case window was a dual pane, clear glass non-metal framed product with a U-value of 0.48. The tests showed a 20% improvement in U-value between a standard slatted blind closure and a sealed slatted blind closure as described herein.
It has been found that in a typical ladder construction for slatted blinds the adjacent edges of the slat do not completely seal against one another without the application of a secondary normal force on the slats. When a standard slatted blind is in the closed position the slats assume an orientation near vertical. The sealing force is applied approximately normal to the bottom surface 54 of the slat which is approximately horizontal when the slat is nearly closed. While the force is referred to as a “normal”, the force need not be perfectly normal to the slat provided the force moves the slats against one another to create a fully closed, sealed blind.
One mechanism for providing the normal sealing force is to provide an embedded magnetic field on the edge of each slat. In the embodiment of
The magnetic fields may be created by magnets positioned in the slats 50 such that the magnets are not visible during normal use of the window covering. In one embodiment a polymer slat 50 may comprise strip or tape magnets 70 that are co-extruded or cross-head die extruded into the polymer material that forms the slats 50 as shown in
The magnet may also be applied to a pre-formed slat such as by using adhesive or a mechanical connector. In such an embodiment the magnet may be visible during use of the window covering if attached to an outside surface of the slat. To improve the slat's appearance, the strip or tape magnets 72 may be located in slots 74 that are routed into or otherwise formed in the slat 50 to maintain the outward appearance of the slat, as shown in
The magnets, rather than being strip or tape magnets, may comprise a plurality of separate magnets 78 spaced along the longitudinal edges 58 and 60 of the slat 50 as shown in
In another embodiment, the magnet on either the front longitudinal edge 58 or rear longitudinal edge 60 of the slat 50 may be replaced by a non-magnetized material that is attracted to the magnet on the other of the front or rear edge such that the magnet attracts the non-magnetized material. The non-magnetized material may be a ferromagnetic material such as iron.
An alternate embodiment of the window covering is shown in
The use of magnets provides a visual and auditory signal to the user that the blind is in the fully closed and sealed position. Because the slats are forced into engagement with one another little or no light will leak through the gaps between the slats providing a visual indication to the user that the blind is fully closed. Further, the magnets cause the slats to close together with an audible click to provide an auditory signal that the blind is fully closed.
Another embodiment for forming a sealed slat is shown in
When the slats are rotated to the closed position the seal 100 fills the gaps between adjacent slats to create a seal between adjacent slats as shown in
Referring to
In the embodiment of
Referring to
Another embodiment of the slat is shown in
The magnetic force may be created by magnets positioned in the slat 50 or in the seal 122 such that the magnets are not visible during normal use of the window covering. In a polymer seal or slat the magnet may be co-extruded or cross-head die extruded into the polymer slat or in the polymer seal. In such an embodiment the magnet may be completely embedded in the polymer material. The ferric material of the magnet may be magnetized before or after the ferric material is embedded in the polymer material, as previously described. The magnet may also be applied to a pre-formed slat such as by using adhesive or a mechanical connector. The magnet may comprise a strip or tape magnet and/or a plurality of separate magnets spaced along the longitudinal edge of the slat 50 as previously described. To improve the slat's appearance, the magnets may be located in slots formed in the seal or slat to maintain the outward appearance of the slat, as previously described. The magnets and slots may be covered by caps to further conceal the magnets as previously described.
Another embodiment of a sealing structure is shown in
Because the longitudinal edge 58 of each slat must fit into the pocket 142 of the adjacent slat, in some embodiments it may be desirable to use guide clips 160 to attach the slats 50 directly to the tilt cords 28 and 30, as shown in
Another embodiment of the invention is shown in
Another embodiment of a sealed slatted blind is shown in
Specific embodiments of an invention are disclosed herein. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention has other applications in other environments. Many embodiments are possible. The following claims are in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention to the specific embodiments described above.
Claims
1. A window covering comprising:
- a first slat and a second slat suspended from a tilt cord such that the tilt cord may rotate the first slat and the second slat between an open position and a closed position, a first magnetic field of a first polarity formed along a first longitudinal edge of the first slat and a second magnetic field of a second polarity formed along a second longitudinal edge of the second slat such that in the closed position the first longitudinal edge is disposed adjacent the second longitudinal edge;
- a first elastic seal formed along a first longitudinal edge of the first slat and a second elastic seal formed along a second longitudinal edge of the second slat, the first seal positioned to contact the second seal when the first slat and the second slat are in the closed position such that the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field pull the first seal and the second seal into engagement with one another such that the first seal and the second seal are compressed against one another.
2. The window covering of claim 1 wherein the first seal and the second seal are made of an elastomeric polymer.
3. The window covering of claim 1 wherein the first slat is extruded of a rigid plastic and the first seal is co-extruded with the first slat and comprises an elastic material that is relatively more elastic than the rigid plastic.
4. The window covering of claim 1 wherein a thermally insulating film is applied over at least a portion of a surface of the first slat and at least a portion of a surface of the second slat.
5. The window covering of claim 1 wherein a ferromagnetic material is formed along the second longitudinal edge of the second slat.
6. The window covering of claim 1 wherein the first magnetic field is created by a first magnet having the first polarity supported along the first longitudinal edge of the first slat, and the second magnetic field is created by a second magnet having the second polarity supported along the second longitudinal edge of the second slat and in the closed position the first magnet is disposed adjacent the second magnet.
7. The window covering of claim 6 wherein the first magnet is extruded in the first slat.
8. The window covering of claim 6 wherein the first magnet is a tape magnet.
9. The window covering of claim 1 wherein a third magnetic field of the first polarity and a fourth magnetic field of the second polarity are formed along a third longitudinal edge of the first slat, and a fifth magnetic field of the first polarity and a sixth magnetic field of the second plurality are formed along a fourth longitudinal edge of the second slat.
10. The window covering of claim 9 wherein the first magnetic field and the third magnetic field are formed on a first surface of the first slat and the second magnetic field and the fourth magnetic field are formed on a second surface of the first slat and the fifth magnetic field is formed on a first surface of the second slat and the sixth magnetic field is are formed on a second surface of the second slat.
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- Window covering sold by Vista Products, Inc.
Type: Grant
Filed: Aug 25, 2014
Date of Patent: Nov 1, 2016
Patent Publication Number: 20140360683
Assignee: Newell Window Furnishings, Inc. (High Point, NC)
Inventors: Victor Anti (Centreville, VA), Peter Bates (Framingham, MA), Michael Defenbaugh (Dunwoody, GA), Joshua Maust (Roswell, GA), Teresa Williamson (Marietta, GA), Alexandra Unger (West Newbury, MA)
Primary Examiner: Katherine Mitchell
Assistant Examiner: Scott Denion
Application Number: 14/467,607
International Classification: E06B 9/303 (20060101); E06B 9/32 (20060101); E06B 9/307 (20060101); E06B 9/386 (20060101);